Emergency Preparedness
Jessica Barnett • July 3, 2023
What To Do During an Active Shooter Situation
Our CritiCare Nurses, Personal Care Assistants, and Home Health Aides are held accountable for their patients or students, and our ultimate goal is to keep everyone safe. Violence often occurs suddenly, therefore it's imperative to maintain composure when it does. Follow these few suggestions from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
in case there is an active shooter situation to keep yourself and others you are responsible for informed and safe.
Within a thirteen-year period, the FBI has identified 24% of active shooter incidents occur in an education environment. Since many of our nurses and personal care assistants report to schools, we felt this was an important topic to go over. When violence happens there is rarely any warning. These situations develop very quicky and are over fast! According to PA Training for Health and Safety by The Department of Labor and Industry, the FBI analyzed 64 active shooter incidents and 44 were over in 5 minutes or less; Of these 44, 23 ended in 2 minutes or less.
When discussing active shooter awareness, the FBI has proposed three possibilities: Run, Hide, Fight. Running is the first and best option, which emphasizes how important it is to be aware of your surroundings and to know which exits are nearby. If you can safely leave the area and head for an exit, do so. This is frequently people's initial response. Nevertheless, depending on the situation, this course of action might not always be the right one. As previously mentioned, our personnel work with patients and students so if you decide to run, make sure you can escort the individuals you are in charge of with you.
If you cannot evacuate safely with your patients or students, the only other choice you have is to find somewhere to hide. Your hiding spot should include a place that is out of the shooter’s view and allow protection if shots are fired. The location you pick shouldn't limit your ability to move around since, in the event that you do get the chance to leave the area securely and reach an exit, you'll want to be able to do so. Remain calm and keep quiet when you are hiding, especially around your patients or students. Your patients will feel safer if they observe you remaining composed. Another suggestion is to make sure your cell phone is silenced and to remain where you are until the law enforcement shows up. At any time during the occurrence, you should dial 911 if you have the ability to do so. You can always text someone on the outside and ask them to call 911 and pass on the information you have about the situation if you are unable to speak on the phone. Another option is calling 911 and keeping the operator on the line to listen.
The Department of Labor and Industry has listed a few indicators or signs that you should be aware of. If any of these occur, you should notify the facility or school where you work instantly. The first indicator is signs of potentially aggressive behavior, which is very relevant to our staff members who interact with patients and students on a daily basis. Any expressed suicide intent is the second indicator to look out for. It is best to report any of these behaviors noticed to CritiCare or any school administrator as soon as possible.
To assist in educating our staff members on this crucial subject, we are providing the materials indicated in this document. Additional links from Homeland Security and the FBI are provided below for further information. Along with the safety of our patients and clients, keeping our employees safe is a top priority for us.
Safety Resources
FBI Active Shooter Safety Resources
https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/active-shooter-safety-resources
Department of Homeland Security Active Shooter Training
https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/active_shooter_booklet.pdf
Emergency Alerts – Activation on phones
CISA School Safety
School Safety | Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA
References
Pennsylvania Training for Health and Safety. Department of Labor and Industry, 2023. https://www.dli.pa.gov/Businesses/Compensation/WC/safety/paths/Pages/default.aspx
FEMA, IS-907-Active Shooter: What You Can Do. A course developed by the National Protection and Programs Directorate/Office of Infrastructure Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. IP_Education@HQ.dhs.gov
“Active Shooter Study: Quick Reference Guide,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014. https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/as-study-quick-reference-guide-updated1.pdf/view
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